After moving to Spain I was not really familiar with the healthcare in Spain. It wasn´t after I got in contact with the insurance company Caser, that they explained me the difference between state healthcare as part of the social services and a private insurance which gives you access to a medical treatment in a private hospital.

National or private insurance, that’s the question

When you become a resident in Spain and you work in Spain, an amount is automatically withheld from your wage for national insurance. The first thing you do after physically moving to Spain is: you get your NIE number, register for healthcare and get your health care card. Honestly after living in Spain for some years, I first realised the importance of an additional insurance. Before that, I visited a local health centre once in a while and because I didn’t know there existed anything else, I thought this was the standard in Spain.

Spain counts as many autonomous communities as it has insurance companies

It can be hard to choose from. Although I have never been with another company than Caser Expat Insurance, I have always been satisfied with the personal (and even in English) assistance, the good price and value for your money and the problem solving service. Besides that the huge amount of private hospitals that you can choose from is impressive.

Fortunately I almost never have to go to the hospital, but when I go for a check-up, I can make an appointment with a specialist doctor without being put on a waiting list and without the intervention of a general practitioner. In my experience the medical staff in the private hospitals are kinder, they take the time for every patient and they seem to have less stress. Health care in Spain is generally good. The difference with the Dutch hospitals is mainly the appearance. In Spain some hospitals look out-dated, but this can not been said about the medical equipment and the knowledge of the doctors.